The invention relates to a method for washing items in an automatic washing line wherein the items to be washed are conveyed to a washing zone in succession and a sensor is used to detect the presence of an item in the sensor area of the sensor.
The invention also relates to an automatic washing apparatus for washing items, the apparatus comprising an accumulation area for accumulating items to be washed in succession into a line, a conveyor in the accumulation area for conveying the items to the washing zone, and a sensor for detecting the presence of an item in the sensor area of the sensor.
In institutional kitchens, such as hotel or restaurant kitchens, large quantities of dishes are washed daily. Washing is effected by placing the dishes in racks which are conveyed through a washing line. Such washing lines usually comprise prewash, main wash and rinsing.
The operating costs of a washing line consist of water, energy and detergent consumed. Previously attention has not been paid to what the idle running costs of such a washing line may be. Unexpectedly, calculations show that the idle running costs of a kitchen washing e.g. 500 standard-sized racks daily may, at worst, exceed FIM 100.000 per year.
Idle running is caused by the wash running although no racks are conveyed through the line or there is space between the racks. With the line empty, water, energy and detergents are wasted.